In the Playground
by unspeakable49
Summary: He gave in to his curiosity, leaning forward slightly to reach her hair. He gave it an experimental pull, before yanking it hard. She let out a shrill scream, whipping around to catch the culprit. She decided then and there that she hated James Potter. - AU. Snippets of Jily from age 5 to 20. First 7 scenes correspond to each of their Hogwarts years.
1. James

**A/N: This is going to be a 3 chapter long fic. It's AU and set in Muggle school. It starts from when James and Lily are five years old, and contains snippets from all the way till they are twenty. The first seven scenes correspond to each of their years at Hogwarts, but as they're only eleven by the scene that represents their seventh year, there are a few more scenes after that. This chapter is the whole story from James' point of view. The next one will be Lily's and then an epilogue.**

**This is also a very different writing style from my usual one, so if you think it doesn't work out, then do leave your feedback. It's written in a he/she way, so James and Lily's name isn't taken unless in dialogue. There might be a little bit of confusion, but I tried to make it as simple as possible.**

**This story is not beta-ed, but if you think I should get one, then please please let me know!**

**I want to thank _CescaHerondaleMorgenstern13,_ who encouraged me to write a Jily series. And while it's not exactly what she directed me towards, it is the first step. Thank you so much.**

**Right, super long A/N, the next ones won't be half as long. Now, onto the story! :)**

* * *

Five (First Year)

She had hair that was redder than anything he had ever seen before. It was tied back in two pigtails that bounced as she beamed around at everyone excitedly. And when she turned around, he saw that her eyes were the most brilliant shade of green he had ever seen. Emerald, he thought it was called.

He was sitting behind her as the teacher read a story to the class. He couldn't help but wonder how loudly she'd scream if he gave one of her pigtails a small tug. Better yet, would he be able to pull one off?

He gave in to his curiosity, leaning forward slightly to reach her hair. He gave it an experimental pull, before yanking it hard.

A piercing shriek broke the silence.

* * *

Six (Second Year)

She was using the exact same crayon he wanted. He strode up to her confidently, and taking a seat next to her, he deftly plucked the yellow crayon out of her hand and began colouring with it. He had expected her to scream and demand that he should give the crayon back, but there was no reaction.

After a few seconds, he couldn't stand the quiet, and took a quick peek at her through his fringe. She was biting her lip in concentration, and was using a red crayon to fill in the spaces.

He felt annoyed at being stumped by a girl, so he reached over and grabbed the crayon from her hand, discarding the old one. When he felt her gaze on him, he smirked slightly, feeling smug at having trounced her.

"I hate you, Potter," she said quietly. She picked up her paper and walked away to go sit next to her slimy friend, Snivellus. (Really, couldn't that boy afford shampoo and tissue papers?)

Her reaction paled in comparison to the rage he had imagined he would enjoy, but it was more effective than anything else she could have done and he felt a small pang of guilt.

He continued colouring for a moment or two, before throwing down the crayon and running out into the playground.

She was simply too odd and unpredictable. No wonder Dad always said women were too complicated to understand.

* * *

Seven (Third Year)

Her eyes met his in a fierce glare. "Go away, Potter," she said angrily.

He ran his hand through his hair, like he had seen his father do on multiple occasions. "Let us have a go, Ginger," he smirked, standing with his friends, as she and Snivellus took turns on the slide.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes."

"Ha, got you," he said triumphantly, pulling the oldest trick in the book.

She growled in frustration. "Let's go, Sev," she said, pulling Snape away by the hand.

He frowned a little at their connected hands, feeling a little uncomfortable, but not being able to place the feeling.

"Come on, James!" his best friend, Sirius, called.

He turned around, putting all thoughts of a crimson haired girl out of his mind.

* * *

Eight (Fourth Year)

He didn't like the new boy much. Too arrogant and conceited, he thought. And what was worse, that boy seemed to get along with Red and Snivellus quite well.

They'd play on the swings and in the sandbox. They always sat next to each other in class. They were always together, but one day Snivellus wasn't there, the boy had the guts to hold hands with her, as they walked around the playground.

He scowled as they smiled adoringly at each other. It was sickening. She shouldn't be friends with anyone other than Snape. It was just _wrong_.

So when he heard the new boy invite her over to his house for a play-date one day, he immediately asked his mother to drop him off to the house too. Of course he would be allowed to enter the house. No parent ever said no to his innocent puppy dog face.

He smirked as he saw her hands twitch as she obviously fought against the urge to slap him hard. He had known it would be good to have a parent on his side. She didn't dare to take action against him.

The next day at school, she stomped over to him angrily and gave him a hard smack across his left cheek. It turned a glaring shade of red, but when the teacher asked him who the culprit was, he refused to answer.

Because strangely enough, he sort of admired her.

* * *

Nine (Fifth Year)

He laughed as Snivellus turned an ugly shade of pink at their taunting. His amusement vanished quickly as he spotted a head full of red locks making her way towards them.

"Alright, Evans?" he asked, ruffling his hair.

"Potter, stop harassing him, this instance!" she spat, green eyes blazing as if on fire.

"Ooh, big word," Sirius teased.

He smirked. "What, Snivellus' not man enough to defend himself. He needs a _girl_ to do it?"

She clicked her tongue angrily. "His name is -"

"I don't need your help, bitch," Snape interrupted.

He felt his eyes widen. She and Snape had been friends since the first day of school. She _always_ stuck up for that prat, even though he had never understood why.

"Don't call her that," he snarled, angrier than he had ever been before. How dare Snape insult her like that! He turned worriedly towards her trying to gauge her reaction.

She gaped at Snape for a few moments, before turning on her heel and running away without another word. He thought he had glimpsed her eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.

A strange sick feeling flooded his stomach, though he would only be able to pinpoint it as guilt many years later.

* * *

Ten (Sixth Year)

He was ten when he kissed her for the first time.

He found her crying in a corner of the playground, curled up against a tree trunk. Between her sobbing and tears, she managed to tell him that her sister and her sister's friends had been saying mean things to her. He was filled with unexplainable rage. Only _he_ should be able to tease Lily Evans.

He sat next to her for a while, as she cried against his shoulder. And finally, when the tears wouldn't come anymore, she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. He could tell she was embarrassed, but still wanted him to do something that would take the pain away.

He couldn't think of anything, except what his mother always did when he was upset. So he pressed his lips to her forehead and then her cheek for a moment, and when he pulled back, he meant to tell her that she should ignore the bullying. They didn't deserve even a second of her attention.

But the dark blush on her cheeks and the timid smile on her lips had rendered him speechless. He had stuttered an excuse, before rushing off to find his friends and trying to forget about this odd instance.

He hadn't had the courage to talk to her after that.

* * *

Eleven (Seventh Year)

He hadn't talked to her for almost a year. He still thought she was the prettiest girl he knew, and also the smartest, bravest and kindest. His friends caught him looking at her quite often, and when they teased him about harbouring a crush for her, he always replied honestly. He didn't like her that way, but he would love to be friends with her.

So when one day she looked up at him and gave him the same smile from the time under the tree, he couldn't resist approaching her.

"Friends?" he asked tentatively.

A wide smile spread over his lips when she beamed happily at him and agreed to his offer.

They had been friends ever since.

* * *

Fifteen

He didn't know how to act around her anymore. After years of being friends and finally shifting to best friends, it was shocking when he realised he had fallen for her. At least now he knew why he never liked her boyfriends, or why an unexplainable feeling of anger consumed him when he saw her with her latest catch.

He gulped a little nervously as she smiled and waved at him, as she walked by with a group of friends. It's just her; she's only my friend, he tried to reason with himself, but his feelings would not be quelled.

When he told his friends, they had simply shrugged and taken it in their stride. He was taken aback when they said they had been expecting it. He didn't think his feelings had been that obvious - wouldn't he have noticed their prescence sooner if they were?

He skittered around her for a week or so, until she finally snapped and demanded to know what was wrong. He stammered, mumbling something incoherent, before scampering away.

He took better care to hide his feelings after that.

* * *

Sixteen

He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. All of a sudden, she had begun acting very strange and a permanent blush seemed to cover her cheeks. His friends laughed and told him that she had probably realised that she was in love with him. His cheeks had burned, as he had dismissed that theory straight away.

"Lily, have I done something wrong?" he asked tentatively, one day. Somehow he frequently managed to find ways to make her blow her top, although they always managed to get over their small arguments.

She muttered a small no, letting her hair fall like a curtain between them. He frowned. Girls always did that when they wanted to avoid a certain topic. It gave them an unfair advantage over boys, he grumbled to himself.

He didn't have to worry for long, because not even a week later, she was back to normal and smiling brightly around him. Except for a few awkward instances where he looked up at her to find her staring at him, or vice versa, things went back to the way they were before.

* * *

Seventeen

"I don't understand what the problem with him is," he heard her voice say as he passed an empty classroom. He paused, wondering if there was someone bothering her.

He couldn't make out what her soft-spoken friend, Emmaline Vance said, but her words after that caused him to go into shock. "Why would James think that? I think it's obvious to him and everyone else that I'm bloody in love with him. And Remus insists James likes me back too, but I'm really beginning to doubt that."

His heart hammered violently. She was in love with _him_. It was unbelievable. He jolted back into his senses as he heard footsteps making their way towards the door

He quickly opened it and strode in. There was a shocked and embarrassed expression on her face. He knew she realised he had heard her words.

"Can I talk to Lily for a minute, Emmaline," he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"Sure," Emmaline squeaked, shutting the door behind her.

"So, Lily," he drawled.

She glared at him. "Don't act like I'm the oblivious one here!"

"Fine," he conceded after a moment. "The less oblivious one is the one who fell first. You first."

She gave him a defiant look, before saying, "Last year."

He reeled in shock. "A year! And you didn't think of telling me?"

"What was I supposed to say? Oh, James, my best friend since we were eleven, I've fallen in love with you! That would have just messed things up, you know it! Well, I was right, wasn't I? You are the blinder one."

He gave a small chuckle. "Two years."

Her eyes widened. "Two! And _you_ didn't think of telling _me_?"

He shrugged. "You didn't even return my feeling till last year. I think I'm excused."

She glowered at him, not admitting that he was right.

There was silence for a moment.

She frowned. "Well, what are you waiting for _now_?"

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, before sputtering, "Nothing."

He moved swiftly towards her, and pinning her between the desk and himself, he said, "Just one thing."

"Yes?" she breathed.

"James?" the door burst open letting in his friends.

"Oh, are we interrupting something," Sirius smirked suggestively, as Remus rolled his eyes and pulled him out by the arm.

He turned back to her.

"Maybe later," she giggled. "The mood's kind of ruined now."

He sighed wistfully. He couldn't wait for next time.

* * *

**Next up, Lily's point of view of this whole series of events. It's almost done, so it won't take too long hopefully. :)**

**Please review, it's so important for me to know if I've delivered the idea in this style of writing properly!**

**-Sana**


	2. Lily

**A/N: Well, it took me much longer than I expected to get this chapter out. Who knows when you'll see the epilogue since I haven't even started that yet!**

**This chapter is slightly longer than the other one, for two reasons. A) Lily's a girl and I'm a girl, so I just had more to write about feeling etc lol. B) I had to give you guys a little more information than what the first chapter had already given away. You'll also find that the style of writing has shifted more towards my usual style, which was partially due to the increased length of each snippet. I should also tell you, that the epilogue will NOT be written in a he/she way because it is in third person. And lastly, there are more names mentioned in this one, even James and Lily's in a few sentences, because there are more people who are referred to in this chapter.**

**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED OR FAVOURITED. :D I will thank each one of you individually when I post the epilogue.**

* * *

Five (First Year)

She looked around excitedly at everyone, beaming at the children who would be her classmates for the next few years. And when she turned around, she noticed a boy staring at her intently. He had untidy hair that looked as if he had just rolled out of bed. She wondered why his mother hadn't brushed it properly, just like her mother had tied her hair back in two pigtails.

She was listening to the teacher who was reading a story to the class, when suddenly she felt a sharp tug on one of her pigtails. She let out a shrill scream, whipping around to catch the culprit.

It was that boy, the one with messy hair. What was his name again? Potter, she thought the teacher had said, James Potter.

She decided then and there that she hated James Potter.

* * *

Six (Second Year)

She was having a horrible day. She was feeling light-headed and tired. And she kept sneezing and coughing. Maybe she was coming down with something - her mum would probably know what to do.

When he came and flung himself into the chair next to her, she thought she could ignore him. But he deftly snatched away the yellow crayon she had been using and began colouring with it, without so much as an apology. She rolled her eyes - since when did he apologise anyway? He thought the world belonged to him, and everything was rightfully for him to use.

So she silently went on with her colouring, picking up a red crayon to replace the one he had stolen. A few moments later, she felt his eyes on her, but she ignored him and continued colouring.

Not a second later, the crayon in her hand had disappeared. She blinked. Looking up at him, she realised with a frown that he had taken away her second crayon. Really, hadn't that boy's mother taught him any manners at all? He was far too rude for his own good.

Feeling angry and frustrated, but not having the strength to shout at him, even though she was absolutely _itching_ to do so, she got up silently.

"I hate you, Potter," she said quietly, picking up her paper and moving to sit by Severus.

At least Sev didn't pull her hair and steal her crayons.

* * *

Seven (Third Year)

Her eyes met his in a fierce glare. "Go away, Potter," she said angrily.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Let us have a go, Ginger," he smirked, standing with his friends, as she and Severus took turns on the slide. Oh, how she hated it when he made fun of her hair. It wasn't as if she had chosen to have hair the colour of a carrot.

"No," she said, raising her chin defiantly.

"Yes," he shot back in that annoying way of his.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes.

"Ha, got you," he said triumphantly, pulling the oldest trick in the book.

She growled in frustration. "Let's go, Sev," she pulled Severus away by the hand.

James Potter wasn't worth their time.

* * *

Eight (Fourth Year)

There was a new boy in their class called Amos. He was polite and friendly, and got along well with Severus and her. They'd play on the swings and in the sandbox together, and sit next to each other in class. And one day when Severus didn't come, Amos shyly took her hand in his as they walked around the playground. He had blushed profusely, causing Lily to giggle despite the fluttery feeling in her stomach.

She thought she saw Potter glare at them, and she caught him staring more than one time. She didn't understand why he seemed so angry, but assumed that in his arrogant blown up head; she probably wasn't allowed to have any friends other than Sev.

She forgot all about him and his conceited behaviour, when one day Amos invited her to his house to play. She agreed happily, and Amos seemed excited to have her over. All those feelings of happiness vanished the second Potter arrived at Amos' doorstep, with an innocent expression that did nothing to fool her. Amos and his parents were too well-mannered to do anything but invite him inside, but she wasn't that nice, and her hands twitched to give him a good slap across his smirking face. Sadly, she could do nothing in front of Amos' parents.

So the next day at school, she stomped over to him angrily and gave him a hard smack across his left cheek. Her heart beat frantically as the teacher questioned him about who had hit him, but surprisingly he didn't grab the opportunity to get her in trouble, and refused to give the teacher an answer.

She didn't know what to make of that.

* * *

Nine (Fifth Year)

She finally spotted Severus with him, and Sev's pink cheeks and embarrassed expression left no doubt that Potter and his friends were mocking him.

She walked over quickly towards them. Really, it was disgusting the way they always picked on Sev. Bullies, the lot of them.

"Potter, stop harassing him, this instance!" she spat, green eyes blazing as if on fire.

"Ooh, big word," Sirius teased.

He smirked. "What, Snivellus' not man enough to defend himself. He needs a _girl_ to do it?"

That name was so - so _immature!_ Sev was already so self-conscious about his name, and what with all the teasing he got about it, no wonder the poor boy had almost stopped introducing himself by his name to people. She clicked her tongue angrily. "His name is -"

"I don't need your help, bitch," Severus interrupted.

She froze.

"Don't call her that," she heard Potter snarl.

It was beyond her comprehension, so she gaped at Severus for a moment, before the anger and hurt caught up with her. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Not wanting to lose control in front of any of the boys with her, she turned abruptly on her heel and ran away. Her vision blurred, and she broke into tears in a bathroom stall.

She heard Potter calling her name and asking her repeatedly if she was alright. Vaguely, she made out their teacher's firm voice as he was pulled out of the girls' washroom.

That was the end of her friendship with Severus, and for the first time she considered that there might be another side to Potter after all.

* * *

Ten (Sixth Year)

Petunia and her friends had been teasing her again. It wasn't her fault she was smart and Tuni wasn't.

She was crying under a tree in a corner of the playground when he found her. She was embarrassed and angry. Of all the people in the school, why did it have to be him? He was uncharacteristically nice to her, and managed to coax her into telling him what was wrong.

She thought he'd make fun of her for being so weak, but she was surprised when he let her cry on his shoulder, subconsciously stroking her hair all the while. She let her composure break and let the tears flow, her face buried in his neck - which surprisingly smelled rather nice for a boy. She'd heard they didn't take regular showers and wash up properly.

When her eyes dried out, she gave him a small bashful smile, before averted her eyes in shame. What would he think of her now? She had lost her composure in front of a boy she had hated since her first day at school. What was worse, she _still_ wanted him to do something - anything - that would make her feel better.

She was surprised when she felt his lips on her forehead and then on her cheek for a moment. She could feel her cheeks heating up as she looked up at him. She saw the hesitancy in his eyes and sensing that he was unsure his actions, she gave him a shy smile.

She was hoping they'd become friends now, but he only stammered something unintelligible, before rushing off to find his friends. She was left staring at his back, trying to make out what had just happened.

They didn't talk again for almost a year.

* * *

Eleven (Seventh Year)

She had changed her mind about him. He was far from the petty bully she had thought him to be. He had become a lot nicer, and although he still teased people and pulled pranks, she found that he didn't pick on individual people anymore. She wouldn't mind becoming friends with him now, but they hadn't talked for almost a year, and she didn't think she had the courage to face him after her embarrassing break down and his sweet, yet bewildering, response.

But one day she decided that enough was enough. They had been in the same class for six years; it was about time they got over the bridge between acquaintances and friends. So she mustered up her courage and nervously approached him with a small smile. Her confidence only grew as he noticed her and began walking towards her.

Before she could even say anything, he interrupted her.

"Friends?" he asked tentatively.

She beamed happily and agreed. A wide smile spread over his lips in response.

They had been friends ever since.

* * *

Fifteen

She didn't understand why he was acting so - so _odd_. She had caught him shooting evil looks at her boyfriend a couple of times, but then he had never liked her boyfriends much. What was more disconcerting was the way she kept catching him glancing towards her as he talked to his friends a few times.

He skittered around her for a week or so, blushing in an extremely uncharacteristic way at times. Finally she snapped and demanded to know what was wrong. He stammered, mumbling something incoherent, before scampering away. She was left looking at his retreating back with a baffled expression.

It wasn't until one of her friends nudged her that she broke out of her trance. She angrily complained about his out of character behaviour, only to have Marlene burst out laughing. She gave Marlene an indignant look, insulted by the lack of seriousness she was showing. Marlene looked chastised, but couldn't suppress her giggles.

"Oh Lily," she giggled breathlessly. "Can't you see he likes you?"

She had brushed that ridiculous statement off. They were friends and friends only. She hadn't done anything that would change his feelings.

* * *

Sixteen

She couldn't understand why her heart had suddenly started racing at the mere sight of him; or why she seemed to have a permanent blush on her face in his presence. The obvious reason was that she had fallen for him, but she dismissed that within moments.

She wasn't blind; she had seen the way he had grown into his features, become taller and more muscular. She had noticed he was one of the most handsome boys in their grade - not to mention the _sexiest_, what with that windswept hair and those piercing hazel eyes - just as she had noticed the looks the other girls gave him, and the _disgusting_ way in which they giggled and flipped their hair around him.

She was talking to one of her friends one day, when suddenly right in the middle of her sentence, she realised that it was true. _She was in love with James._ James who she always fought with; James who was always with her; James who was her best friend. How could she have been so stupid to let this happen?

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Alice shouting her name. She narrated her sudden epiphany rather dazedly. Alice didn't laugh, but Lily caught her lips twitching rather suspiciously. She narrowed her eyes threateningly, and flounced off to class. She didn't need her friends knowing looks right now, even if they had guessed it ages ago - even before she herself had realised.

She tried avoiding him for a while, in the hope that her feelings would be squashed, but it didn't seem to work. He was a difficult person to avoid; he seemed to pop up everywhere she went, with his cheeky grin and muscular arms that always seemed to be pulling her into a hug. She knew he had noticed her odd behaviour, and she saw a hurt expression pass through his eyes on more than one occasion, as she took an about turn in hopes of steering clear from him – at least until she managed to gain some sort of control over her heart.

"Lily, have I done something wrong?" he asked tentatively, one day.

She muttered a small no, letting her hair fall like a curtain between them. She didn't know how to deal with this confrontation - she wasn't even sure if she wanted to.

However, when her friends pointed out that dancing around him was only causing them to drift apart, she quickly pulled her act together. Her feelings would just have to go away with time.

* * *

Seventeen

"I don't understand what the problem with him is," she ranted to a listening Emmaline.

"I think he thinks you like Sirius," Emmaline suggested softly.

"Why would James think that? I think it's obvious to him and everyone else that I'm bloody in love with him. And Remus insists James likes me back too, but I'm really beginning to doubt that -" she huffed angrily.

"Well, you and Sirius have been getting pretty close lately. And you two flirt a lot too, though it's nothing compared to the signals you've been sending James. I think even Frank has realised and he's more oblivious than Sirius and Peter put together."

"I've practically been throwing myself onto him. What doesn't he understand? I am this close to losing my dignity," she said, leaving less than an inch between her finger and thumb.

"Maybe we can lock you two up in a cupboard," Emmaline suggested, laughing slightly.

She chose to ignore that, as she tried to quell the fluttery feeling in her stomach at the mere thought of that delightful prospect.

Suddenly the door opened, and the very boy they had been talking about strode in, seemingly confident. But she knew him too well. She could spot the slight hesitancy in his eyes, and the nervousness of his walk. And she knew then that he had heard her involuntary confession

Whatever would happen between them would happen now or not at all.

She stood there with a shocked expression, helpless against the unflattering red hue that was no doubt creeping up over her cheeks. She wasn't ready for this conversation.

"Can I talk to Lily for a minute, Emmaline," he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"Sure," Emmaline squeaked. She pulled her eyes away from his to glare at Emmaline. How dare Emmaline leave her alone in her time of need. But she only received a small shrug in response, as Emmaline left, shutting the door behind her.

"So, Lily," he drawled.

She glared at him. "Don't act like I'm the oblivious one here!"

"Fine," he conceded after a moment. "The less oblivious one is the one who fell first. You first."

She gave him a defiant look, more than confident that it had been her who had fallen first. "Last year."

"A year! And you didn't think of telling me?" A flabbergasted expression covered his face.

"What was I supposed to say? Oh, James, my best friend since we were eleven, I've fallen in love with you!" her chest heaved, as she spoke angrily. "That would have just messed things up, you know it! Well, I was right, wasn't I? You are the blinder one," she finished triumphantly.

He gave a small chuckle. "Two years."

She didn't understand what he meant for a second, but then her eyes widened. "Two! And _you_ didn't think of telling _me_?" she exclaimed.

He shrugged. "You didn't even return my feeling till last year. I think I'm excused."

She glowered at him, not admitting that he was right.

There was silence for a moment. She waited for him to make a move, to hug her, kiss her, but he didn't budge.

She frowned. "Well, what are you waiting for now?"

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, before sputtering, "Nothing."

He moved swiftly towards her, and pinning her between the desk and himself, he said, "Just one thing."

"Yes?" she breathed, her heart racing in anticipation for this long awaited for moment.

He opened his mouth -

"James?" the door burst open letting in his friends. She silently cursed their horrible timing.

"Oh, are we interrupting something," Sirius smirked suggestively, as Remus rolled his eyes and pulled him out by the arm. She had never been more mortified in her life.

He turned back to her, as they left. She could see the disappointment in his hazel eyes and an adorable pout over his lips.

"Maybe later," she giggled. "The mood's kind of ruined now."

He sighed wistfully, causing butterflies to invade her stomach once again.

She couldn't wait for next time.

And she'd make sure his friends - and hers too, just in case - were locked securely in a room before they started anything.

* * *

**Please, please let me know what you thought of it. I really like this story, it's one of my favourite projects, and I want to make it as good as it can be. So please, I'd really appreciate your help!**

**If you think the two chapters don't work together properly, please tell me. I'll fix them as soon as I have time.**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**

**And remember, epilogue is still left. :)**

**-Sana**


	3. Epilogue

**A/N: I've taken ages to finish the epilogue, but believe me it was super hard! It took me a long time to get it just the way I wanted it to be. A huge thank you to my best friend, ****_autumnangel _****on one direction fan fiction . net (without the spaces) and ****_thearcherballet _****both of whom read this and assured me that it's perfect the way it is.**

**This is the last time I'll be updating this story, so I wanted to thank everyone.**

**The Reviewers: ****_Books are air, Malenaphernelia, CescaHerondaleMorgenstern13, thearcherballet_**** and****_ PotterNerd94._**

**The Followers: ****_Books are air, CescaHerondaleMorgenstern13, LiveLaughLove013, Malenaphernelia, PotterNerd94, bobbo08 _****and ****_thearcherballet._**

**The Favouriters: ****_CescaHerondaleMorgenstern13, ILurvCupcakes _****and ****_thearcherballet._**

* * *

4 years later

"James, stop!" Lily cried breathlessly, as James tickled her relentlessly. One year old Harry gurgled happily at the sight of his laughing parents.

"See, Harry agrees with me - don't you, Harry?" James beamed proudly at his son.

"James, just drive! We're getting late to Sirius' Halloween get-together," Lily gasped, as he continued tickling her mercilessly.

"Alright," he conceded, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the lips. "Let's go," he smiled, starting up the car again.

* * *

Lily smiled contentedly, as they drove along the motorway. Meeting the boys had been fun; they rarely got to spend time together without the pressure of work and their adult lives anymore. James and Sirius' jobs as law enforcement officers had been especially taxing as of late, what with the rise of a terrorist group, calling themselves 'Death Eaters', and their leader, 'Lord Voldemort'.

Lily shook her head at the ridiculous alias, though her amusement was short-lived. James had warned her that all employees of the Order of the Phoenix and their families were in danger of being targeted. In all honesty, she was scared - not for herself, not even for James; but for their darling, little Harry, who had only lived a little more than a year in this world.

She closed her eyed, willing her anxiety to wash away. She dozed off slightly, when suddenly she was jolted out of her sleep, as James swore loudly and the car swerved dangerously.

"James," she shrieked, whipping around to check on the sleeping Harry. His eyes were wide open, and she could see her own fear mirrored in his eyes that were so identical to her own. She smiled at him, before turning back towards James.

He glanced into the rear-view mirror, cursing profusely.

"James," she gave him a disapproving glare. "Watch it. Harry's going to start talking soon, and we don't want his first words to be along those lines."

"Voldy's on our trail," he gritted out, angrily.

Her jaw dropped open. "What?" she whispered, disbelief clouding her eyes. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew James wouldn't have said that if it wasn't true.

Fear gripped her heart, as she stared at the black car following them. We're on a motorway; there's no way out, she realised with a sinking feeling. Giving Harry a calm smile that was in no way reflective of her own feelings, she turned to face James once again.

"What do we do now?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

James looked at her frightened expression for a moment. Regret filled his heart. He had once promised Lily that he would protect her from everything; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he couldn't save her and Harry - that is, if he was still alive by then. They had already escaped Voldemort and his men thrice. What were the chances that they would be as lucky this time? There was no way to contact the other members of the Order of the Phoenix - their cell phones had discharged quite some time ago.

His jaw clenched, as he contemplated over their options - not that there were many. Voldemort was gaining on them every second.

He swerved off the road, and onto the grass growing on the sides. The best he could do was hold Voldemort off until they came across some people. Ottery St. Catchpole was the only village they'd pass before entering Godric's Hollow.

James' eyes widened as he noticed a line of trees approaching. Voldemort was driving them into the forest, where it would be almost impossible drive due to the vegetation and protruding roots. He cursed under his breath, not wanting to frighten Lily anymore than she already was.

"James," Lily murmured, "I love you."

He could see her eyes glistening with tears.

"Don't you dare talk like that, Lily! Don't you dare talk like we're already dead. Not yet," he said fiercely, his heart aching for her and Harry. He glanced at Harry through the rear-view mirror and gave him a small smile, which Harry returned with his own dimpled one.

James looked at Voldemort's approaching ebony car, his eyes staring straight into Voldemort's gleaming one. A shiver went down his back at the hard look of pure hatred.

"James, there's nothing we can do," Lily murmured, a defeated expression on her pale face. "Just- just try to save Harry."

He shut his eyes for a second, determined not to let the tears fall. His resolve strengthened, and he sped up the car even more than he already had.

"Lily," he replied, the pain evident in his voice. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled sadly, tears flowing openly down her cheeks.

His eyes darted about wildly, still trying to find an escape - some exit they may have missed; some way in which he could buy Lily time to take Harry and run.

"Mama loves you, Harry. Dada loved you. Mama loves you. You're so strong, Harry. We love you," he heard Lily repeating to Harry.

He tried increasing the speed, until it was at its maximum, but the high speed was too much for the car to withstand. With a loud bang the engine caught fire and the car skidded to a halt. James quickly swerved the car so that it wouldn't hit the tree, just before Voldemort crashed into them. He could hear the panic in Lily's voice build up.

The car collided with the oak tree with a sickening crunch, sandwiched between Voldemort's car and the tree. Lily's voice seemed to recede farther and farther back, until it was only a weak echo in a distant place.

* * *

Nothingness.

Everything was black.

He opened his eyes a crack. He tried moving to check if Lily and Harry were safe and alive, but he found that it was impossible to turn his head. He opened his mouth, but there was blood and his tongue felt swollen. He must have bitten it on impact. He shifted slightly, only to have intense pain consume him.

He took a deep breath and gave in to the strong urge to close his eyes. He welcomed the darkness and the brief respite it brought from the pain.

The Order was sure to find them sooner or later.

* * *

Minerva picked up her daily newspaper, glancing at the headlines in hope of one that would appeal to her interests. _'The Boy Who Lived'._ She took a sip of tea, before continuing to read the following article. It must be something important, she thought. It's taking up more than half of the front page!

_Yesterday, on the 31st of October, Mr. and Mrs. James Potter, along with their one year old son, were found in a car accident along the motorway (M3) to Godric's Hollow. The bodies were not found until 10:00p.m. in the night, but medical analysis shows that the deaths took place almost four hours prior. Although it may be considered as a mere accident, James and Lily Potter had been in hiding for quite a few months from a threat from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Death Eaters. Very few knew of their Halloween outing, and thus, it is suspected that there was a traitor amongst the Potter close friends and family._

She gasped. Her teacup fell and shattered to pieces. She had taught Lily and James for many years while they were in school, and she had seen their relationship develop from being five year olds who hated each other, to inseparable eleven year old children, and then finally to man and wife. She uncovered her mouth and continued reading the rest of the report.

_Remus Lupin, a good friend of the Potters, reported that the two left another friend's house around 5:30p.m. Right about that time, Sirius Black (owner of said house) disappeared to make a quick phone call. After a few minutes, Black ushered Lupin and guest, Peter Pettigrew, out of the house, and quickly hopped into his own car and sped down the same route the Potters had taken. Pettigrew too had taken off in the same direction, but claims that, "Sirius was driving like a madman. He just rushed after James and Lily! I assumed they had forgotten something - a jacket maybe. So I let him take over, and I myself lingered behind, driving slowly."_

_The Potters car was found sandwiched between a large oak tree and a black car, which has been found to belong to one of the most notorious Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, who also happens to be Sirius Black's cousin. Investigators currently suspect that Black's mysterious phone call may have been a signal to You-Know-Who that the Potters were now on the road and open targets._

She didn't believe it. Black had been their friend! Black and Potter – always joined at the hip; the living nightmares of all teachers. She shook her head. Black wouldn't do that, she tried convincing herself, but a nagging doubt remained at the back of her head.

_However, all did not go- (continued on pg 4)_

She let out a frustrated sound, quickly flipping to page four to complete reading the article.

_(Continued from front page) -as You-Know-Who had planned it. Although James and Lily Potter died that night in the car crash, their one year old son, Harry, was a miraculous survivor of the incident. Out of the four people involved, he was the only one to live, and has only minor injuries. From what has been analysed so far, the two cars seemed to have collided after combustion due to high speed. Young Harry is now living with his only surviving relatives, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, his maternal uncle and aunt._

_Although He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Names has perished and been punished for his sins, the matter of Black's sentence still remains. Black's hearing has been scheduled a week from today, on the 7th of November, yet there are negligible chances that he will be written off as innocent. A life sentence in prison is the pending sentence._

The article went on to explain what had happened to the Death Eaters and the various sentences they had received. The closing paragraph marked young Harry Potter as their saviour, and there was now to be a Harry Potter Day on 1st November.

She sat back with her hand over her heart. Lily and James dead. Black in prison. Oh, how much they had all grown up! She let out a few small sobs, grieving the tragedy that had struck, before wiping away all indication of tears.

She hurriedly grabbed her coat, and set off for Headquarters. Dumbledore would no doubt have some important fact that had been left out from the report - something positive, something that would give them hope.

At least, she hoped he would.

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you thought about this!**

**Much love,**

**Sana.**


End file.
